Wabbajacked
by Gangyzgirl
Summary: The Daedric prince of Madness, Sheogorath, is dipleased that KaNack has not been using the Wabbajack to its full potential. As punishment, he sends both the Argonian and his Spectral Assassin to a strange new world where he is no longer the only Listener OR Dragonborn.
1. Strange New World

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: Taking a bit of a break from the Winterhold Five. **

**This is an idea I came up with and tossed the idea Heiwako's way. On more than one occasion I asked her what would happen if our Dragonborns ever met, and I finally came up with this little plot. We are creating this by role playing our characters over chat so that both Hecate and KaNack are properly voiced and represented. With that being the case the story might sound a little choppy at points, but all in all I am happy with how this is working out.**

**This takes place between my No Man Left Behind and Guild Wars stories and in the middle of Heiwako's For The Future of Skyrim. **

* * *

KaNack sucked in the cool night air as he rode Shadowmere across the plains of Hjaalmarch. He had just sent another soul to the Void in the name of the Dread Father. He always felt a great sense of worth and satisfaction after a good killing. His spiritual guardian was surprisingly quiet as the Argonian continued to guide his mare forward.

"What's wrong, Lucien? Did I finally perform a job so flawlessly that not even you can find room to critique?" the reptile laughed as he turned his head to look back at his transparent companion.

"You breathed so heavily that the only reason your contract remained unaware of your presence was the obscene amount of Alto wine in his system," Lachance said sternly. "You get so excited about the kill that you forget yourself and just how noisy a creature you are."

"There is it," the caster chuckled. "Now that you've found fault in my death dealing, the night truly is complete. One day though, Buddy, I will have the perfect kill."

"There is always room for improvement, my Listener."

The mage pulled on the demonic steed's reins to bring her to a halt as he pulled out the map. "Morthal is done, the next stop is Falkreath. " A sad smile formed on his scaly face. "Our old hometown. We haven't been there since we searched for Cicero all those years ago."

"Feeling nostalgic, are we?" the Speaker uttered in a deep and velvety voice. "So much history occurred in such a tiny town. Stories of the Falkreath Sanctuary are infamous there."

"Good, it's those tales that keep people away from it," KaNack said. "With the Dark Brotherhood back in full force, no one would dare do anything to instigate our wrath."

There was a loud crack of thunder and fire erupted from the earth. Shadowmere reared up and whinnied loudly as her front hooves shot forward to attack whatever startled her. The mage grasped onto the reins tightly and he could feel Lucien's arms wrap around him and tighten to keep from being flung off as well.

"Shadowmere! Cease!" the caster barked loudly. The horse dropped back down onto all four feet and she shook her head with a loud and annoyed snort. The reptile leaned down and made a shushing sound as he ran a clawed hand down her neck in an effort to help settle her nerves. "Easy girl," he gently spoke as he gave her a reassuring pat.

"What in Oblivion happened?" Lucien asked as he slowly loosened his grip from around his caster. "The mare does not get spooked easily."

The Listener picked his head up slightly and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. As the smoke from the fire dispersed, a man was left standing in its wake. He was tall and his colorful outfit seemed to look bright even in the darkness of the night.

"By Sithis, it can't be," the reptile muttered under his breath.

"Well, my little mortal minion, you have been keeping yourself busy, haven't you?" the daedra stated as a maniacal grin began to crawl up his face.

"Sheogorath?" the Argonian dismounted Shadowmere as he stared at the Daedric prince in disbelief. He had not seen the madman since his little incident in the Blue Palace.

A frown was plastered on the specter's face as he gazed upon the daedric prince of madness. "Not him again," Lachance grumbled under his breath as he remained on the mare. He had never been fond of daedras, dealing with Cicero's eccentricities was a task in itself.

"Good to see you in such fine health, lad! I've just come back from another long vacation! It was grand! Orsimer maidens serving drinks! Dancing in the moonlight with a band made up of Horkers! And the cheese! Plenty to be had by all!" Sheogorath made his way over to the Argonian and placed and arm around his shoulder as he began to walk with him. "Thing is though, mortal. I was a little disappointed when I came back from my latest escapade."

"Oh?" the mage gulped.

"Skyrim has been severely lacking in chaos." The god held out his hand and the Wabbajack suddenly appeared. Seeing the staff caused the Listener to tense up as he began to realize why the daedra was paying him this unexpected visit.

"I gave you this so that you could cause mayhem! Why has my little gift been collecting dust in your chambers?"

"I was going to use it, but circumstances forced me to leave it behind," KaNack explained as he rubbed the back of his neck and gave the god a nervous smile. "I've never been fond of staffs. I had always given them to Cicero to use in fights."

"Ah! You should have given it to the jester then! He would have caused so much fun!" the daedric prince laughed, his pupiless eyes wide with delight.

Seeing the Mad God walking off with the Listener made the Spectral Assassin uneasy. He dismounted Shadowmere and hurried to catch up with them. "That tool causes unnecessary attention, daedra," the spirit growled as he joined the Dark Brotherhood leader's side. "It would not do well for an assassin to wield such an unpredictable weapon."

"And that is the problem," Sheogorath explained as he tapped the staff against his hip and gave the two a crooked smile. " See, since I've come back I've been so BORED!" he screamed the last word causing the two to move away from the crazy daedra. The god chuckled as he looked into the screaming face on the staff's tip. "We need to liven things up a little; what good is it being the prince of madness when…?"

"Listener, be on your guard. Daedra are known for their trickery and deceit," the ghost whispered to his caster.

"You DARE interrupt me?!" Sheogorath roared as he pointed the Wabbajack in the direction of the Dark Brotherhood members causing them to retreat even further. "Only I interrupt me!" He smirked. "Like just then."

The mage motioned for the daedra to calm down. "If I have disappointed you, please let me assure that it was not my intention. Perhaps I can make amends and use the Wabbajack now?"

The god's head pulled back as he let out a loud and hearty laugh. "That's very kind of you, mortal. You had your chance. It seems now I will have to amuse myself in another matter." KaNack's jaw clenched as he saw the daedra prepare to fire the Wabbajack in his direction.

"By Sithis! What do you plan to do?!"

"What I do best, mortal, " he answered with a grin. "Of course I can't just turn you into a chicken, oh no! You're special! You're the Dragonborn and the Listener. One of a kind, there is no one on Nirn like you!" The mad god lowered the staff suddenly as he went into thought. "The only one?" he muttered to himself. "HAH! Brilliant, that will cause all kinds of mayhem! I love it!"

"Can't we work something out? Please be reasonable!" the reptile exclaimed not knowing what the mad daedra had in mind for him. Lucien unsheathed his blade and his upper lip curled in a snarl as he prepared to fight off the god as best he could to give the Listener a chance to escape the daedra's wrath.

"You know what?" Sheogorath said as he lowered the staff further. " I've been known to change my mind on occasion. Sure, let's try and fix this so that nobody's feelings end up getting hurt."

The Listener sighed in relief and smiled at the god. "Good, I'm glad we can be sensible."

"Oh wait! Sorry! Changed my mind again just now! Ta ta!" the daedric prince laughed as he shot the Wabbajack at the Argonian. Lachance grabbed his caster by the shoulder in order to pull him out of the way, but by the time he put his hands on the reptile, the casting took effect.

A gentle breeze stirred the Argonian awake and KaNack rubbed at his head as he pulled himself into a sitting position. The sun was up, he must have been unconscious for hours. He looked to the side and saw his spiritual guardian not too far from him standing watch. Lucien most likely had been guarding him all night.

KaNack scanned the area around then and he could see that he was still where he had been prior to Sheogorath's appearance. They were still in Hjaalmarth. The only difference was that his steed, Shadowmere, was nowhere to be seen.

"Buddy?"

Lachance turned back to his caster with a grim expression plastered on his face. "Good, you're awake."

"I must have been passed out during the Wabbajack's effects. What happened?" the mage asked as he staggered to his feet.

"By the time the daedric prince shot us with that damned staff he seemed to have vanished from sight and you were out. I feared that when you awoke I would discover what he had done to you. You don't seem to be altered in any way however."

The assassin held out a claw and it began glow as he materialized a spell in his hands. "I feel fine and my magicka doesn't seem to be blocked either. Did you see where Shadowmere went?"

"I whistled for her, but she has not responded to my call." His pale eyes narrowed. "She has never ignored my summoning before, this unsettles me," the ghost growled as he continued to glare off in the distance and pointed outward. "As does that."

Curious, the reptile walked over to join his spirit's side and looked outward. There was a large army camp set up not too far away and a Stormcloak banner was waving proudly from it.

"That's not possible," the Listener growled as he watched Stormcloak soldiers moving about the site. "We cleared Skyrim of the Stormcloak Rebellion years ago. Tullius would have been aware if there was a camp this large still residing in the countryside." A chill ran down the Argonian's spine as a thought occurred to him. "You don't think Sheogorath sent us back in time, do you?"

"I have no idea," the Spectral Assassin answered. "The god said nothing of what he had planned on doing. Perhaps we should be grateful that aside from a few Stormcloaks, nothing seems too different."

A roar in the distance put the mage on alert and he spun around, his hands lighting up in fire. "Well, the dragon problem certainly has not altered any!" KaNack snarled before he took off in a run to meet the dragon that was flying towards them in the distance.

"Death waits for no man or beast!" Lucien exclaimed as his bow materialized in his hand and rushed after the Listener.

The Argonian came to a halt and bore his teeth as he looked up at the dovah approaching. He could tell quickly that it was a mountain dragon, the weakest of the winged beasts. Good, he had just woken up and as dangerous as it was, it would not be impossible to kill.

He sucked in a deep breath as he prepared his Shout. "JOOR ZAH FRUL!"

The beast roared as it felt the effects of the Thu'um and struggled as it was unwillingly forced to land on the earth. The ground trembled under the mage's feet, but he did not allow it to distract him from what needed to be done. His claws began to illuminate a bright blue and he cast the spell to the earth producing a flame thrall.

"Lucien! April! Strike it hard and fast!" he ordered loudly as he rushed towards the grounded dovah and a bright mass of white flame began to materialize in his hands.

Lachance followed closely after the flame thrall as she effortlessly hovered towards the beast and began to shoot balls of flame at its head, causing it to roar and bellow. The Spectral Assassin summoned an ethereal arrow and took his time as he aimed. There was a soft whizzing sound as the projectile flew through the air and struck the dragon just above its brow line.

"Good! Keep it up!" the mage shouted as he shot his Incinerate spell into the dragon's side, easily burning through the weaker scales of the mountain dragon. It was not nearly as challenging as his frost brother or the terrible blood dragon. KaNack leaped back as the dovah's head swung around and snapped its jaws. Leaping into the air, the caster clambered onto the back of the dovah and stumbled slightly as the massive creature tried to shake him off. He grasped onto one of the long spikes adorning the dragon's back in an effort to remain on its back.

The dovah turned its attention away from the pesky caster as it had just about enough of the painful projectiles being shot at him from the conjurations. It opened its mouth wide and prepared to Shout.

"YOL!"

Fire erupted from the creature's mouth and Lachance had to dive out of the way as April faced it fearlessly. Fire hardly fazed her in the slightest and she continued to attack relentlessly as she waited for her blue companion to rejoin her in the battle.

Spectral arrows and balls of flame continued to strike into the dragon, weakening it and slowing down its thrashing. KaNack panted as he stood up and raced across the back of the dovah and focused on its head.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The beast roared and the force of the Thu'um stunned it momentarily, which was all the time that the Argonian needed. He withdrew the Blade of Woe and leaped forward plunging the dagger deep into the skull of the dragon. He grasped one of the long horns on its head with his claws as he pulled the dagger out and once again struck it deep into the beast's head.

As soon as KaNack heard the death roar, he pulled out his blade and leaped off the beast's head. He tried to move away from it as fast as possible, his entire body tensing up as he knew what horrible sensation was about to befall him. The dovah's body began to smolder and light up as the soul was ripped from its body and then started towards its new host.

"Oh Sithis, I hate this part," the mage grumbled as he squeezed his eyes shut and prepared himself for the oncoming pain.

KaNack clutched at his chest and dropped to a knee as the dragon's soul forced its way into his body. He trembled and gasped as his small body twisted and clenched trying to make room for the oversized soul that was settling itself into the reptile. Lachance placed a hand on his shoulder in sympathy, and offered the mage his hand which was gripped in a tight hold as the caster lingered through the final moments of agony until all that was left was a throbbing soreness and a temporary feeble sensation.

The Spectral Assassin had been with the Listener long enough to understand that this was a painful experience for his caster and also that once he absorbed a soul was when he was most vulnerable. The mage looked over at his flame thrall and managed a small smile.

"Thank you, April," he whispered quietly before dismissing her. "Thank you, Lucien."

"My blade and bow have always been yours, my Listener," the spirit said as he gave his conjurer a reassuring pat on his back.

"Impossible!" a voice shouted in the distance. "Stormblade! How is this possible?!"

The mage stirred when he heard voices in the distance and his entire body tensed up as he saw Stormcloaks approaching. "Oh, no. "

The Spectral Assassin narrowed his eyes and once again produced his bow as he stood protectively in front of the Dark Brotherhood leader. There were Stormcloaks coming and leading the pack was one donned in impressive dragon scale armor.

"Knowing our luck, I am willing to bet that Ulfric is still alive as well," the reptile growled through clenched teeth, still weakened from absorbing the dovah's soul. "Stall them as long as you can, Buddy."

"They will not get past me alive," the spirit growled as he raised his bow in and drew back a spectral arrow. "Keep your distance or face death!" he threatened loudly at the approaching soldiers.

As the person in dragon scale came closer, the helm was removed and the Speaker was surprised to see that it was in fact a woman. The look of utter shock on her face did not seem to be that of one who had intended either of them harm, but the specter kept his weapon drawn just as an extra precaution.

"You took that dragon's soul. You're an Argonian though!" she exclaimed as she looked past Lucien at the reptile who was gasping for air. "It's impossible, the Dragonborn…" The female's blue eyes looked back to the Spectral Assassin who still had a weapon aimed at her. "Stand down, I not going to hurt you," she insisted as she motioned for Lachance to lower his bow.

The spirit refused to do so as there were at least four rebel soldiers behind the Nordic woman.

"Keep your distance," Lucien growled at the Stormcloak's leader. "I do not trust Stormcloaks and I will not hesitate to strike you should you come too close."

Hearing the ethereal man's threat, the surrounding soldiers began to unsheathe their swords and bows as well. The Nord, apparently their leader, motioned for them to stand down.

"Why would we wish harm on one who saved some of my mens' lives by killing that beast?" she asked. "I cannot believe that there is another one in Skyrim," she whispered under her breath.

"Stormblade, how can there be two Dragonborns? Shouldn't there be only one?" a soldier asked.

KaNack struggled to his feet and braced himself against the skull of the dragon as he turned to face the Stormcloaks. His jaw dropped as he recognized the face of the one they called 'Stormblade'. He could never forget the one who had looked out for him when he had been first named Dovahkiin.

"Lydia?" he gasped out as he pushed himself forward so that he was standing on his feet.

His former housecarl jumped in shock and she looked from side to side nervously.

"Lydia, is that you?" He shook his head in confusion. "You were my ally; what are you doing with the Stormcloaks?"

"Housecarl," Lucien muttered darkly under his breath as he continued to glower at the Nords before him.

"I…You are mistaking me for someone else," she insisted as she waved off the reptile's accusation. "I am the Dragonborn, Stormblade." She gestured behind her. "You are weakened from your encounter. Please, come and rest at my tent. We can continue this conversation there."

"I'd sooner die than willingly step foot in a Stromcloak camp," the Argonian hissed viciously as he felt his strength starting to return. "I am sure your new racist friends would have a thing or two to say about a filthy lizard residing amongst them."

"Please," Lydia insisted as she started forward. "You absorbed that dragon's soul. You're Dovahkiin; that much I can tell. I only need a moment of your time." She held her hand out to the reptile, ignoring the vicious glare she was receiving from the mage's spiritual guardian.

"If you are with the Stormcloaks, Lydia," KaNack stated as he stepped forward and grasped Lucien by the arm, "then we have nothing else to say to one another." The reptile turned so that he was facing the forest. "Buddy, brace yourself."

"Why do I need to…?"

"WULD NAH KEST!"

The ghost grunted as he was suddenly yanked off his feet and pulled several hundred yards away from Lydia and the other Stormcloaks. In seconds he was a mere few feet outside of the edge of the forest.

"By Sithis!" Lucien hissed as he grasped at his aching arm that felt as though it had been pulled out of his socket. KaNack's claws began to glow a light golden color as he cast a quick restoration spell on his spirit to fix his injury.

"Sorry, we had to get out of there fast! We need to go! Hurry!" the mage ordered as he charged forward into the woods, hoping to avoid any further interaction with the enemy troops. The Speaker took off after his caster as the Argonian raced through the brush and trees.

"Lydia! I knew she was a Nord, but I never would have expected her to turn traitor like that!" the Listener snarled as he continued to plow through the woodlands.

By the time they had reached a small clearing, the caster was severely out of breath and plopped his read end down on a nearby rock. The Argonian's mouth remained open as he gasped in air, trying to recover from his flight. Lucien turned back to look the way they came and gave a stern nod of his head.

"I don't think they will manage to catch up with us, Listener. We should be safe for now," he insisted to try and give his conjurer some peace of mind. "This is obviously the work of Sheogorath. He must have altered our reality," the spirit explained as he began to pace before his caster.

"Lydia acted like she didn't want me calling her by her true name," the reptile muttered as he grabbed a nearby stick and began to scribble in the dirt. "I didn't sense any animosity or hatred from her, but that army of Stormcloaks did nothing to settle my nerves."

"You made the right call not trusting her. I could taste bitterness and apprehension in the air," Lucien said as he continued to pace.

"They mentioned that there was another Dragonborn, Buddy," KaNack said sadly as he finished his scribing of the Draconic word 'FUS'. He looked up at his specter with hopeful eyes. "Do you think it's possible for there to be someone else like me? Another Dovahkiin?"

"I am not one to trust the word of a complete stranger. Much less one whom you considered an enemy, my Listener."

"Lydia's not my enemy, it's just…" The mage allowed the stick to drop from his claws, "she was loyal to Balgruuf. I just can't see her working for that oaf Ulfric."

"When it comes to the powers of a god, the whims of mortals are their playthings," the Speaker explained. "We'll rest here a little longer and then…"Lachance stopped in midsentence and his head twisted sharply to the side.

"What's wrong?"

The Spectral Assassin held up his hand to motion for the mage to be silent. "Someone's coming."

"I don't hear anything."

"You haven't been at this as long as I have," Lachance growled as his blade materialized in his hands. "Stay here; I'll go see what it is."The spirit disappeared into the trees as he tried to get a fix on the faint sound of crunching leaves.

KaNack stood up from the rock and sucked in a deep breath. "LAAS YAH NIR!"

All at once, red shades began to appear through the trees alerting the mage to the life forces in the surrounding area. A few he recognized as deer or foxes, but there were two man-sized shadows in the distance that seemed to be heading in his direction. One was off in the direction that his spiritual guardian had taken off; the other was making a straight line right for him. If this person had intentions of attacking the Dark Brotherhood leader, they were in for a terrible surprise.

The red shade grew larger in size and the assassin's body tensed up as he heard the light rustling of leaves and branches. When the person finally made their appearance, the first thing the reptile noticed was Stormcloak armor. His upper lip curled up in a snarl as flames erupted in his palms. Seeing the rebel armor triggered the reaction and all at once the mage felt as though he were once again in the midst of the civil war.

"Long live the Empire!" he shouted proudly as he prepared to project the fireball at the soldier.

"IISS SLEN NUS!" a feminine voice Shouted. The Argonian barely had time to realize that it was a Thu'um before the power took effect and he found himself surrounded in ice. What had he gotten himself into?


	2. Enter Hecate

"IISS SLEN NUS!"

The Shout had come out of nowhere and a light thud sounded in the forest as the frozen assassin toppled to the ground.

Lucien had heard his caster Shout many times, but this Thu'um did not sound like it had been his voice. The spirit turned on his heels and rushed back to the clearing where he had left the mage and froze in place at the sight before him. An Argonian shaped slab of ice was laid out before him and to the side was a female in Stormcloak armor. Seeing his conjurer in such a state caused the ghost's anger to rise and his blade was quickly replaced with his bow.

"You!" he barked loudly, grabbing the woman's attention. She seemed quite surprised to see him and took a few steps to the side as the Spectral Assassin approached so that he was standing alongside the frozen mage. "Attack him again and you will taste my wrath, filth!"

The Stormcloak seemed less than impressed by the spirit before her. She rested a hand on her hip and gave the Speaker a look that one might expect from a disapproving mother. "It's just an ice form Shout," she said flippantly, "he'll be fine in a few seconds." She cupped her hand to her mouth as she called out into the forest. "Cicero, let's go! Our cover is blown!"

Lachance's body tensed up when he felt an arm wrap around his neck and the cold touch of an ebony blade press against his chin.

"Lucky specter, I could have taken you," he hissed into the ghost's ear. "Yes, my Listener!" the figure behind him sang as he released his hold on the Speaker. When the figure stepped back, Lucien saw another being in Stormcloak armor and recognized the face of the Fool of Hearts.

"Keeper?" the ghost muttered under his breath as he lowered his bow, just slightly. He had been so focused on the person before him he had dropped his guard and didn't even hear the jester coming up from behind.

The Imperial was practically skipping as he hurried to join the woman's side. Seeing Cicero was also wearing the armor of the enemy made the spirit believe that there was treachery afoot and that Sheogorath had changed more than he had comprehended.

"Are you associated with the mad god, Stormcloak?" the Speaker growled as he remained protectively by the frozen mage's side.

"Just a mad fool," she answered simply as she smiled at the Imperial standing next to her.

"Cicero is not mad," he huffed.

"Cicero," the ghost grumbled as he tried to get a grasp on himself. Reality felt like it was shattering before him and he would get no answers or progress any further if he allowed himself to get overwhelmed. "Did you just call that woman 'Listener?'"

"Oh, no!" the Keeper giggled. "Why ever would Cicero do that?" The jester's fingers danced across one another as he shot the female a loving smile. " She's more of a whistler! Yes!"

Lachance blinked a few times as he shot the Keeper's companion a look of confusion. The Cicero in Sheogorath's realm made less sense than the one in his.

"That's right, I whistle," the woman said flatly, looking slightly put out. Ignoring the fool's tittering, she returned her attention to the spirit. "Look, we're leaving. I'm sorry about your friend, strange glowing blue man. I didn't mean to freeze him, he just startled me."

"He startled you? You were the ones prowling towards us," the Speaker remarked bitterly. "We don't know whom to trust. Both of us have been cast here by the daedric prince of madness," the Spectral Assassin answered as he lowered his bow, no longer sensing that either the woman or the peculiar Keeper meant them any harm. "Neither of us are sure where we are, when we are or whom we can trust."

"I gathered since his initial reaction was to set my face on fire," she remarked as she removed her helm and tucked it under her arm. The spirit of the Dark Brotherhood could now see that she was an Imperial, even though her features were very similar to the Nordic housecarl they had encountered after killing the dragon.

Lucien was about to question the female further when he heard the faint sound of cracking. His blind eyes turned downward and he saw that the ice surrounding the mage was starting to break apart. The small beads of sweat crawling down the sides of the ice, alerted the spirit as to just how his caster was attempting to break free.

"Oh Sithis," he muttered under his breath before diving to the side. No sooner had he done so that shards of ice shot off in all directions as a wave of fire exploded from within the solid form. The assassin gasped for air and pulled himself to a knee as his fire shroud slowly began to simmer. While his body was frozen, his mind had still been quite active and the reptile had managed to summon up his fire spell to escape the icy prison.

"Listener!" Lachance hurried back to his conjurer and carefully looked over the shivering reptile. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," he hissed darkly as his pale white eyes stared menacingly at the woman. "Well played, my dear. I see Ulfric Stormcloak is not the only one in Skyrim who sought out the Greybeard's training." The mage's entire demeanor changed when he saw the Fool of Hearts standing beside the woman who had attacked him. The sight of his dearest friend made him lose all sense of anger and he rose to his feet with a laugh. "Cicero! You are a most welcomed sight, my Keeper!" the caster exclaimed as he approached the fool with open arms.

The female Imperial shot the fool a quizzical look, thinking perhaps that in one of his misadventures the merry man had come upon the peculiar reptile.

"Does Cicero know the Argonian?" the Keeper blinked. "Cicero never forgets a face, but he doesn't remember this one."

KaNack's expression dropped and he stepped backwards as though Cicero had grown a second head. He had hoped that Sheogorath would at least have allowed him to maintain the close bond he had with his friend in this strange existence. It seemed that his Spectral Assassin was his only other tie to what he considered reality.

"Buddy," the Argonian muttered, causing the spirit to lean closer to him. "Just how much do you think Sheogorath has changed in this plane?"

"The mind boggles," Lucien answered simply. "I fear what should happen if I fall in this realm. Clearly the daedra has altered our existence."

Nodding his head, the mage turned back to the two and pointed a claw at the female Imperial. "You there! Stormcloak, why are you traveling with this man? What are your connections with him?"

"I am no Stormcloak!" she snapped back, insulted that the reptile would even call her such a thing.

"You're wearing the armor, which means you are a traitor to the Empire!" the caster remarked as his long black tail swished in frustration. He had killed many Stormcloaks in the past and would not hesitate to do so again, even if this particular one had learned a dragon Shout.

"Ugh! I forgot about our disguises," the woman said, pulling on her tunic. "We're only wearing these because we need to talk to someone and we wouldn't exactly be welcomed into the camp otherwise." She gestured a thumb at the Fool of Hearts. "As far as my companion goes, well, that's Cicero. He's my…um," she paused.

"Husband!" Cicero chirped. "Cicero is dear Hecate's husband!"

"Shut up!" the woman slapped the Keeper on the back of his head. "This is no time for your jokes!"

"Oh, why must Cicero's mistress be so cruel?" the Keeper whined with large crocodile tears.

Lucien stared at the two, blinking dumbly. Mad god influence or not, he simply could not comprehend one who would have the patience to wed themselves to the jester. KaNack on the other hand burst out into laughter as he held his gut and slapped at his knee.

"You married the Keeper?!" he cried out in mirth as he looked back at the woman the fool called 'Hecate'. " Well you certainly chose a man with enthusiasm to spare!"

"Oh, yes," Cicero smirked. "Dear Hecate has never complained about Cicero's 'enthusiasm' in the bed."

"I want to die," Hecate moaned as she hid her face in her hands. "And we are NOT married."

The Spectral Assassin grasped the mage by the arm to pull his attention away from the two Imperials. "Listener," he began softly. "If she is traveling with the Keeper and speaks the truth about not being associated with the Stormcloaks, do you think she might be one of us?"

The smile dropped from the Argonian's face as he thought over his guardian's words. Sheogorath's influence or not, the Dark Brotherhood was still a family no matter what plane of existence they were on. The mage took a few cautious steps forward and stood tall before Hecate.

"What is life's greatest illusion?" he asked her in haunted and hushed tone.

The question caused both Imperials to become still and the woman's eyes widened in recognition of the query. She knew right then and there that these two were part of the Brotherhood.

"Innocence," they answered in unison.

KaNack sighed gently and smiled warmly at Hecate before he bowed politely to her in greeting. Lachance also nodded his head to them in respect. "It is good to run into a sister," he said as he stood. He opened his satchel to reveal to her the black and red shrouds of the Dark Brotherhood. "I am KaNack; this is my spiritual guardian, Lucien Lachance. Sithis truly is watching over me if he has allowed the two of us to cross paths in a realm as wide as Skyrim. I apologize for my brashness earlier. Stormcloaks and I have a rather bloody relationship with one another."

"You are not a part of my sanctuary. Are you from outside the country?" she asked as she looked the Argonian over. "I was unaware that any other of our brotherhood existed."

"My spirit and I have become pawns in a mad daedra's little game," the caster answered as he rested his hands on his hips. " I had assumed we had gone back in time until I saw a former companion of mine had sided with the Stormcloaks."

"This is not our world," the Spectral Assassin added as his brow furrowed.

"Sister," KaNack began, "I realize that this might seem hard to comprehend, but I am the Listener of the Black Hand in my realm. It is vital that I seek council with the Night Mother at once. The daedra may be able to twist our realities, but he's not powerful enough to alter the realm of the Void."

Hecate head cocked slightly to the side."How can you be the Listener when I'm the Listener?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.

The Argonian turned back to his spiritual guardian who appeared to be just as puzzled as him. It was not often that the Speaker was at a loss for words. The mage smacked the side of his head with his hand as though trying to clear something out of it. "Forgive me, sister," he said standing up straighter, "I think I still had some ice in my ears. What was that you said?"

"I am the Listener," Hecate said slowly and loudly as if to a simple child.

A smirk crawled up scaly lips as KaNack shook his head in slight amusement. "My dear sister, that just isn't possible."

"Perhaps it is," Lachance remarked as he began to circle both Imperials. "You said yourself that this is not our world, Listener." He paused as he looked Hecate up and down causing her to shift away from the spirit. "She could be the Listener in this plane, just as you are in ours."

"This is nonsense," the Argonian growled, no longer amused by the situation. "Just what is Sheogorath's game?"

"His game is to cause chaos," the ghost answered simply as he glared back at his caster. " Aren't you glad you meddled in daedric affairs?"

"Lucien, how in blazes was I to know that he would take things so personally?" the mage asked as he tapped his foot in frustration.

"Liar!" the Keeper snarled loudly as he pointed an accusing finger at the mage. "How dare you claim you are the Listener? There is only one Listener and that is Hecate!"

The caster cocked his head as he stared at the infuriated jester. "Well, at least we know the Cicero is this world isn't too different from our own," he said quietly.

"Prove it!" hissed the fool as his golden eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Prove you are who you claim by saying the words! Only the Listener knows the words!"

"You mean 'Darkness rises when silence dies'?" the reptile answered with a slight smirk.

The fool was dumbfounded and his jaw dropped slightly, not able to believe what he had heard. The woman seemed equally surprised.

"Huh? How? You couldn't," the Keeper fumbled over his own words.

"Cicero, I've known you long enough to know better than to make the mistake of trying to deceive you," the assassin answered simply. "Now that I clearly have proven who I am, Keeper, I need to know. My brothers and sisters in Dawnstar; Vytalas and the others, they are members of your sanctuary?"

"There are others in the sanctuary, but there is no one there named Vytalas, Brother," Cicero answered with wide eyes, still unable to believe that there was a second Listener.

Hecate quietly chewed on her thumb as the others talked before finally deciding to get some answers of her own. " You've mentioned the Mad God several times," she commented. "Are you saying you've personally interacted with him?"

"Yes," the mage answered as he ran his claws through the crimson feathers on his head. "He and I had a little encounter years ago when one of his followers asked me to convince him to get his master back. What he failed to mention was that his master was Sheogorath the daedric prince of madness." KaNack's eyes narrowed to slits when he heard Lucien grumble. "And my friend here has never let me hear the end of it since."

"Your tendency to dive headfirst into trouble is enough to even give my soul wrinkles," the Speaker remarked as he continued to scowl at the reptile. "We don't have time to argue though. You must seek the Night Mother's council and see if she can grant you any knowledge that may assist our return to reality."

KaNack knew that the Spectral Assassin was right, but the caster's attention kept returning to the female Imperial whom had struck him with a dragon Shout.

"Just a moment," he said gesturing the spirit to be patient. He once again approached his fellow Dark Brotherhood member and leaned in to get a good look at her face. She seemed young, too young to have mastered a Thu'um.

Lucien crossed his arms and walked over to Cicero so that he was standing by the fool's side. It was clear that the mage was much more interested in conversing with his fellow Listener than trying to figure out a way to get back home.

"What do you make of all this, Keeper?" he asked.

"Hmm, Cicero thinks this is very, very interesting," the Keeper said with a toothy grin. "Dear Hecate has never had competition before. Well, there was the one time Meena challenged her for the Brotherhood, but poor Miss Kitty never had a chance." The jester looked over at the two Listeners. "Cicero thinks it will be interesting to see how they fare together."

"Knowing mine, it's only a matter of time before this situation gets to him and he ends up doing something reckless," the ghost remarked bitterly. "That is the price to pay when dealing with mages. Their whole means of casting magicka relies on them embracing deep emotions. Thanks to Festus Krex's training, our Listener can become quite dangerous."

"Hecate is dangerous too," the fool stated solemnly.

"There are very few people in Skyrim whom are capable of Shouting, sister. Most of them are twice your age. Just how long did you train with the Greybeards?"

"Uh, I trained with the Greybeards for about a week before Arngeir asked Lydia and me to go dungeon delving," she chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head. "I think they weren't ready for our youthful exuberance."

"Yeah, that sounds like Arngeir," the mage muttered under his breath. A thought then crossed his mind that caused his body to stiffen from his head to the tip of his tail. "The only reason he sent me out was to find Words of Power, but the only ones who could get any true use out of them were…" He stared at Hecate with wide eyes. "HIN KOS DOVAHKIIN?"

"Uh, I don't really speak dovah," Hecate admitted.

KaNack nodded his head apologetically. "Sorry, perhaps it's a reptile thing. I asked, are you Dragonborn?" he asked her quietly, his white eyes gazing upon her hauntingly. The mage could accept there being another Listener in this world, but finding a second Dragonborn? That was something he never thought he would encounter in his lifetime.

"Well, yeah," Hecate said, rolling her eyes at the question.

KaNack took a few steps backwards as he gasped. "By Sithis, finally," he muttered under his breath. "I thought I would never find one who could understand this curse."

"Curse?" Hecate chuckled. "It's been a little off putting at times, but I never thought of it as a curse."

"Anything that causes that much pain is certainly a curse." He smiled sadly at the Imperial as he clasped his claws behind his head. "Sister Hecate, when Lydia spoke of there being another Dragonborn, I had no idea that she was speaking the truth. Judging by how confused and worried she looked, I can only assume that I was not alone in trying to escape this damned identity."

"I'm more concerned that you spoke to Lydia," she said frowning.

"What quarrels do you have with Lydia? I remember her as a loyal ally." He glanced over his shoulder back to where the Stormcloak camp was. "If not for those rebels, I might have actually been willing to speak with her."

"She seemed rather adamant about you coming back with her to the camp once she saw you absorb the soul, Listener. Our Dragonborn sister here must have left quite an impression on the housecarl of Whiterun."

Hecate placed her hands on her hips. "If you really hate the Stormcloaks, I doubt you would have wanted to talk to her. Lydia is Ulfric's right hand woman and she is pretending to be the Dragonborn for his cause. It has allowed the Stormcloaks to almost win the war by falsely letting Nords think they are supporting the child of prophecy."

"What?" the mage's lips twitched, not sure if he wanted to smirk or frown. "How can Lydia possibly pretend that she is the Dragonborn? She cannot absorb souls or even Shout."

"I've got news for you," Hecate hissed. "Lydia can Shout. I haven't spoken to my old housecarl in years, so I don't know the exact details, but I suspect Ulfric taught her how to Shout like the old Tongues."

"Old Tongues?" the mage asked as he moved so that he was once again standing beside Lachance. He was relieved that the spirit was with him; just having the ghost there always gave the reptile a sense of security. "I spent a good deal of time with the Greybeards and I never heard of such a thing."

"Arngeir told me that men used to be able to learn how to Shout much more easily in the First Era," she explained, "but it corrupted them from gaining power too easily. They would conquer cities with only a handful of men and no heavy machinery since they could destroy fortifications with their Shouts. Their arrogance became their downfall when the Red Mountain exploded. Jorgen Windcaller realized that they had become too prideful. It is what led him to learn the Way of the Voice and how to learn from silence and meditation."

"Solitary confinement," KaNack whispered under his breath as a shiver ran up his spine. The mage shook his head as he looked back at the Imperial. "So, Lydia has learned the Way of the Voice?"

"Lydia doesn't follow the Way of the Voice," Hecate growled. "The Way is a peaceful path and would never help win a war. It is what the Greybeards believe. She follows the ancient Way of the Tongues. She dared to steal my name and she is wearing my dragonscale armor. MINE!"

"I'm getting the impression that you want your armor back from her," the reptile said sarcastically as he gave the woman an unimpressed look.

"Listener," Lachance said in a warning tone.

"Yeah, I know. I'm being rude," he sighed. "Is that why you are dressed as Stormcloaks? You mean to invade their camp?" The Argonian grimaced as he thought about a familiar circumstance years ago. "I think I should warn you, unless you have some sort of plan and a backup plan for that plan that going in there is a bad idea. Trust me; I almost lost a good friend to Stormcloaks when he infiltrated them in disguise. He had the powers of a mage to assist him and even that wasn't enough."

"I have a great plan," Hecate said with a flip of her hair. "I'm going to go in there and ask for my armor back."

"Hecate is a very straightforward planner sometimes," Cicero said.

"So, that's your plan? March into the camp and just ask for it?" the Argonian smirked as he looked at his spiritual guardian. "See? And you thought I put little to no strategy in my planning!"

"Sithis, give me patience to deal with this child," the ghost muttered.

"Why should I be afraid?" Hecate said irritably. "Lydia was my housecarl and best friend. She doesn't know where I have been or what I have been doing so there is no reason for her to not give up what is rightfully mine. These disguises will keep the Stormcloaks off us. What could go wrong?"

"Ooof course, Listener," Cicero chirped. "It's not like Lydia will want you to stay and talk about joining the Stormcloaks or ask where you've been."

"I'll just improvise," Hecate hedged.

"I don't like the idea of you dragging the Keeper into this," Lachance spoke up suddenly. "His is a sacred position in the Dark Brotherhood."

"Cicero always comes with me on missions," Hecate said as she smiled at the jester. "It's our special time."

KaNack frowned at this and rubbed at the back of his neck nervously.

"Yeah, that's kind of how I felt about it at first also," the reptile said as his tail flicked from side to side in anticipation. He knew how dangerous Ulfric's men were and it didn't seem like his fellow Dragonborn had put much thought into her tactic aside from attaining proper disguises. "Hecate, if you are adamant on this plan of yours, Lucien and I can hold off trying to find our way back home until you've finished your business with Lydia." He then smirked at her. "You know, to step in when everything goes wrong."

"Having the family watching over you is never a bad thing, child," the ghost insisted trying to make up for his caster's callousness. He shot the mage a dark look. "Listeners, in my experience, have a tendency to get in positions where they damn near get themselves killed."

"Please," the mage snorted, "you're my guardian, Buddy. You knew what you were getting into when I started summoning you regularly."

"No, your problem is more important," Hecate sighed as she focused on the task ahead of her, rather frustrated that the false Dragonborn would resume her post until she fixed this little mishap with her fellow Listener. She also looked pretty irritated by KaNack's words. "We'll help you first. Wouldn't want to leave your world without a Listener longer than necessary."

"That would be terrible!" Cicero exclaimed. "Poor other Cicero without a Listener? It would be too cruel!"

Lachance let out a small sigh of relief when he saw that the Imperial was putting her mission to the side. The last thing this world needed was to lose its Keeper and Listener in one fell swoop. KaNack bowed his head politely to Hecate as the four began to travel together in the woods back in the direction of Dawnstar.


	3. It's Ann Marie!

The four assassins made their way through the lands of Skyrim as they continued to converse with one another,

"I appreciate the assistance," the mage insisted. "I've dealt with daedra before, but honestly, he was the last one I expected to jump back into my life."

"I warned you not to meddle," Lucien said as he walked silently along the freshly fallen leaves, leaving a fine blue mist behind him.

"Well, it was either work for the daedra or spend eternity in limbo, what choice did I have?" the Argonian snapped at the spirit. "I swear, sometimes you sound just like my mother." KaNack turned his head to look over at his fellow sister. "Is Lucien as bossy with you in this realm as he is in mine?"

"I don't have a Lucien," she answered simply.

"You don't?" the caster asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "That's a shame. I owe a lot of who I am as a Dark Brotherhood leader to him. Having someone who was there really helped me to embrace that which is the true 'Old Ways'."

A small satisfied smile formed on the Spectral Assassin's face as his conjurer praised him, his ego knew no shame.

"The followers of Sithis have come a long way," the Speaker said as he clasped his hands behind his back and started to enjoy the stroll through the woods. "I am sure that you have your own share of sanctuaries spread all about Skyrim filled with brothers and sisters. There is no camaraderie quite like that of our rather unique family."

"We currently only have Dawnstar and Wayrest," Hecate responded. "But I've only been Listener for about three years now. I don't really have any plans for additional Sanctuaries in Skyrim since I feel that one is plenty. I am more focused on covering all of Tamriel."

"Oh," the Argonian remarked. " I guess that is one means of doing so. With more sanctuaries spread across Skyrim, I thought new assassins could be trained and later relocated across Tamriel." He shrugged his shoulders and looked to his ghost. " To each his or her own, right Buddy?"

"Please stop calling me 'Buddy' in front of them," the spirit requested patiently. "If you keep going between my true name and your title for me, it will only confuse them."

"Old habits die hard," the mage said with a smirk. He looked back at Hecate. "This is your realm, what do you think should be our next step if the Night Mother cannot answer our questions?"

"I suppose our best bet is to speak to Babette. She's the oldest and most scholarly of us," Hecate murmured, trying to change the conversation. She really had no interest in arguing with which Brotherhood was superior.

"Babette," KaNack said with a hint of relief in his voice. "Yes, she always has had an abundant amount of wisdom to share with…"

"By Sithis!" Lucien snarled as he noticed someone resting against a tree ahead of them. His bow materialized in his hands as he aimed the weapon ahead of him. "You have three seconds to lose that smirk, daedra!"

The Argonian tensed when he saw the familiar purple and crimson outfit on the man just ahead of them. He brushed his pale white hair back as he turned to face the group and smiled at them. Sheogorath did not seem even the slightest bit concerned that there was an arrow aimed squarely at his head.

"Put that toy down, you can't kill a god with anything you possess."

Lucien grumbled as he lowered his bow, realizing that even his deadly ethereal bow wouldn't be enough to intimidate the lunatic.

"How do you like that?" the Mad God muttered with a shrug of his shoulders. " Such a welcome and after I put together such a grand reunion of sorts." Sheogorath approached the group, his twisted grin never leaving his face. "After all, it's not every day you get to have two Listeners and Dragonborns in the same plane. This is going to be fun!"

Cicero began to jump up and down with excitement as he grabbed hold of Hecate's arm.

"Ooh! It's Ann Marie!" the Keeper squealed happily.

The daedra turned his head and his smile broadened when he spotted the Fool of Hearts. "Ah, the merry jester. So grand that you too seem to be playing a part in my little game."

"Game?" the Argonian growled. "These are our lives!" The mage could feel his inner fire growing hotter when he saw that Sheogorath didn't lose his look of amusement in the slightest. "You had your fun, now can we please be adults? Return myself and Lachance to our proper worlds and leave the Listener to function in hers."

"Why would I do that? The real excitement is yet to come!" the god circled the group. "Two Dragonborns! Twice the Shouting! Twice the soul sucking! Twice the destruction that can be unleashed!" Sheogorath laughed loudly as he looked in the direction of the Stormcloak camp. "Oh, you know what would really liven things up? If the two of you went down there and just started to Thu'um left and right! Soldiers flying everywhere. Swords and shields scattered about in disarray. Now tell me that doesn't sound like a grand time?"

"Not really," Hecate said carefully. She had never had to deal with daedra lords although it sometimes felt like people were tripping over them left and right. If anyone knew how to deal with a god of madness, it would be Cicero. "What do you think sounds like a good time, my Keeper?"

"Cicero thinks it would be wonderful to spend time with Ann Marie again. We had so much fun with our picnic last time!" the jester laughed merrily. "Also, Cicero thinks it would be good for the two Listeners to get to know each other. Such important people must have such stories to share."

"Yes, the wee Imperial gets it!" the daedra exclaimed as his hand clenched into a fist triumphantly. "See this not as a trial but an opportunity to form a true understanding of what you are!"

Sheogorath's blind eyes turned to Hecate. "Did you not pine when Ulfric betrayed you, my dear? That the one person whom you felt could truly understand you just wanted you to win a silly little war?"

Hecate bowed her head at Sheogorath's words. She had thought she was past the hurt of discovering Ulfric's true nature, but the god was right. She had felt a kinship with the Nord and had wanted to know more of his time as an apprentice to the Greybeards. She held her hands in front of her, not speaking.

The daedra grinned at the Argonian. "Lad, don't tell me you haven't wondered what it would be like to find someone who understood all the stress and pressure that came with becoming a legend?"

"Sheogorath, all I want is to go home," the mage answered darkly as electricity began to crackle from his fingers. "I'm sure my sister here has more important things to do than to amuse your whims."

"I disagree. I can tell that the two of you are simply too curious to allow a moment like this to slip by. After all you have so much in common! You could practically be joined at the hip!" The mad god rubbed his chin and let out a quiet murmur as though in thought. His eyes widened in delight. "Aha! That's it!"

Sheogorath reached forward and clasped his hands on both KaNack and Hecate's shoulders. The mage jumped in surprise and glared at the daedra. He was sure that Sheogorath had done something; it simply was not clear what it was yet.

"This has gone on long enough!" Lachance snarled as he lost his patience. "Return us to where we belong, daedra!"

"Oh shut up, you pesky phantom," Sheogorath grumbled as he flicked his wrist. At once Lucien shrank in size as his form changed to that of a spectral hound.

"Lucien?!" KaNack fell down to his knees as he stared into the confused white eyes of his Spectral Assassin that was starting to become aware of his new appearance. The specter's ears pricked up in alarm and his fur began to bristle in apprehension.

The daedric prince of madness burst into laughter at the sight. " Look at that! He follows after you like a loyal hound! Very appropriate, don't you think?"

The ethereal dog bared its teeth as a vicious growl sounded in his throat. KaNack stood up and gave the daedra a furious look. "Change him back!"

Cicero's mad laughter could be heard at the sight of the ghostly hound than had been the mage's spiritual companion. "Oooh, ooh, do Cicero next!" he insisted.

Sheogorath turned away from the infuriated assassins to look back over at the Imperials. "Leave it to the Fool of Hearts to always want to participate in good old fashioned chaos!"

"Sheogorath!" KaNack snarled angrily.

"Be right with you lad, just keep an eye on Lachance the lapdog," the daedra insisted as he waved the reptile off. The god looked over at Hecate, still grinning madly. "You've been awfully quiet, dear. Do you have nothing at all to say?"

"No, sir," she said, carefully keeping her eyes down.

"No?" He snapped his fingers and a twisted smile plastered on his face as Cicero went through a transformation of his own and standing in his place was a female Imperial. "How about now?! Ha ha!"

KaNack leaned into his casting position and a fireball materialized in his hands. "Dammit! Change our followers back, NOW!" he demanded loudly having had enough madness to last him a lifetime.

Sheogorath continued to laugh loudly and smirked at the Argonian. "Do you mind? I'm trying to appreciate my handiwork."

Cicero reached up and started squeezing her breasts. "Oh, Listener, look! They're much bigger than yours."

KaNack was at a loss for words at the sight of the man whom he considered a dear friend, touching himself like some drunken Nord.

The Keeper ran over to his Listener and grabbed her hands so she could place them on her chest. "Feel!"

Hecate was blushing a furious red as she followed her Keeper's command. "I'm, um, sure it won't hurt them to stay this way for a little longer," she stammered. "Cicero doesn't seem to mind."

"Lucien Lachance is a dog and I don't think he appreciates your lack of concern," the caster hissed through clenched teeth. Lachance's body began to shake and even in his canine form, murder was clearly seen in his pale white eyes.

"Oh, Cicero doesn't mind at all, my dear Hecate," the Keeper purred. She ground against Hecate. "Not in the slightest," she said, ignoring the angry yelling of the reptile.

"Maybe we could just go over here for a bit," Hecate suggested, edging towards the tree line. "To, um, scout for any patrolling Stormcloaks. We wouldn't want them to stumble onto this."

Lachance tried to yell at the two for their insolence, but quickly became silent when all that came out was a sharp bark. A look of horror and humiliation overcame the Speaker at the sound and he slunk low to the ground.

"Lucien, I am so sorry. I'll fix this, I promise," KaNack insisted frantically as he motioned for the spirit to remain calm. KaNack eyes began to glow a slight white as his inner fire grew hotter. He glared after the retreating Imperials.

"Hecate, aren't you the slightest bit worried?! I thought you were going to help us!" he yelled after her.

The Imperial's breathing looked rather ragged as she stared at the transformed Keeper, completely oblivious to how upset the Argonian was. "Oh, you know, female redheads have always been a weakness of mine," she sighed. "If Cicero doesn't mind, why should I?"

"Patrolling could take a while," Cicero suggested.

"Yes, it could," Hecate agreed. She wrapped her arm around Cicero's new shapely waist as they headed to the cover of the forest.

"Hecate! Cicero! You fetchers!" he screamed after them. The Argonian slapped an open hand against his face and could feel his temper getting the best of him.

"Don't be so serious, KaNack," Hecate called over her shoulder. "What's the point of living if you cannot have some fun?"

"We're not having fun! My spiritual guardian got turned into a dog!"

"No, no, no, no! She's right, this is fun. Why are you trying to spoil our good time?" the Mad God asked. "Those two are enjoying themselves. Why don't you play fetch with your new haunted hound?"

The ethereal dog's upper lip curled up bearing rows of sharp fangs as Lachance felt close to biting the Mad God just to temporarily get him to stop smirking.

"Tell me what you want and I'll do it," the mage stated quietly as he glared at the daedra.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllll," Sheogorath began. "I might be tempted to change your companions back, if you are willing to take part in a game of mine."

Lachance's eyes widened and he barked loudly. The conjurer knew that Lucien was trying to warn him, but the Argonian was really out of options at this point.

"What kind of game?" he asked.

"I was so busy causing chaos since I got the Wabbajack back; I seemed to have misplaced it when I came here to see how you and your friend were faring." He chuckled as he looked back in the direction of the Imperials. "Can't seem to find the damn thing anywhere. Maybe you can find it for me?"

"You never issue a challenge without a catch, Sheogorath," KaNack remarked as he tried to ignore Lucien tugging at his shrouds with his teeth. "How are the mortals being manipulated this time?"

"Just a minute lad, I think the two Imperials are still having fun."

"I don't care," he hissed. "All I want is for things to go back to normal. This is NOT normal!"

"Oh, fine," muttered the daedra. "The catch is very simple. As I said, you and the Imperial are to be joined at the hip!" He smirked. "Not literally of course, but close enough that it might as well be true." he looked down at the furious Speaker. "Consider yourself the Spectral Assassin and the girl his scroll."

"Wait," KaNack began as he rubbed at his eyes. "Are you telling me that Hecate and I can't be further than a few yards from one another?"

"See? It's going to be a grand time! You can braid each other's hair! Have a tea party! Make bow ties out of the tongues of Stormcloaks soldiers. The possibilities are endless." Sheogorath crossed his arms. "And because I am in such a sporting mood, I'll even allow the two of you to return to your original plane of existence once you're done."

"Fine, but I can't get anything done with Lachance like this," the reptile insisted as he pointed down at the hound.

"I'd rather leave things the way they are to keep it more interesting. If you insist..."

"I do!" the reptile snapped.

The daedra snapped his fingers once again and Lucien shifted back into his human form. The ghost's white eyes were wide with rage, his teeth clenched together and his entire body was trembling with anger from his humiliating predicament. KaNack took a tentative step away from the ghost, not wanting to be within striking distance when he was clearly irate.

"HA! Look, he's so mad he can't even speak! A Speaker who can't speak! Jolly good!" Sheogorath exclaimed as he gestured towards the spirit. "Maybe next time you'll think twice before getting lippy with a god, specter!"

Lucien stared at Sheogorath menacingly as the corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably.

"There are a thousand ways I'd love to see you dead," he growled darkly at the god.

"Aw, dammit!" a voice shouted in disappointment from the forest.

"Just when things were getting good too."

Sheogorath rested his hands on his hips as he smiled at the assassins. "Well, we best be going our separate ways. I still have more madness and chaos to spread and you have a staff to find. Happy hunting, I wish you the best of luck, or maybe I don't. After all, the longer you go without finding it, the longer you stick around here. Ta!"

The daedra vanished from sight and the mage groaned as he held his face in his hands. "Why did I have to help that madman in Solitude? Why did I have to go to the Peligius Wing?"

"Why indeed," Lachance hissed through gritted teeth. "By Sithis, the gall!" The ghost began to pace furiously in an attempt to try and calm himself.

The Argonian scowled over to where he had heard the Imperials. "Things are going to get much more complicated, Buddy. We need to find the Wabbajack if we ever hope to get back home."

"And you'll have to get along with her as well!" the spirit remarked still quite livid from his previous transformation. He quickened his pacing hoping that his temper would be quenched soon.

KaNack turned around and narrowed his eyes when he saw a very disappointed Hecate and jester approaching him.

"Why did you have to send Ann Marie away?" Cicero whined. "We were having fun."

"Lucien wasn't having fun; thanks for your concern by the way," the mage hissed at them as he crossed his arms.

"Did you ever consider that maybe going along with his madness was the best way to get him to get bored?" Hecate asked lazily. "After all, we were polite and look what we got. While you were rather rude and got a poodle."

KaNack winced as he heard Lachance snarl. He turned and saw that the ghost was not shooting spectral arrows at a tree. He had never seen his spiritual guardian lose his patience like this, but the Dark Brotherhood spirit was a prideful being and had been struck a severe blow. "Polite?" he asked as he looked back at Hecate. "From where I was standing all you were doing was standing there and keeping your mouth shut." He ran his claws through his feathers. "I did not become the leader of an assassins' guild by being polite either."

"No, but it did get you stuck here," she smirked.

KaNack tapped a claw against his temple trying to calm him before continuing. It wasn't going to do him any good to get into an argument with the other Listener. After all, they were now bound to one another. "I'm glad you were willing to help us before, Hecate. Sheogorath has seen to it that we're going to have little choice but to work with one another."

"How is that?" she asked as she looked over at the ghost who was still firing arrows.

"Some kind of ethereal cord," the Argonian answered. "The good news is that he said as soon as I find his staff, he'll send both me and Lachance back to our world." He gave his fellow Listener a tired look. "I'm sorry you had to get dragged into all this, Hecate. At least we have an idea of what we need to do to make things normal again." He shot Cicero a quizzical look as he thought about the Keeper's reaction to being turned to a woman. "Well, as normal as to be expected."

Cicero's only response was shameless giggling.

"Well, no time like the present get started. Come on, we'd better get back to Dawnstar." Hecate gave the spirit a sideways glance. "Is Fido done venting yet?"

The Spectral Assassin paused and shot the Imperial a cold stare.

"Yeah, I should probably tell you that Lucien has pretty efficient hearing," KaNack muttered to Hecate. The mage motioned for the spirit to follow him. "Lachance! We need to move, come on!" The Argonian turned back to Hecate. "Well, fellow Listener. Looks like the two of us are in for quite the adventure."

"Sounds like a typical Tirdas to me," she shrugged as the quartet headed for Dawnstar Sanctuary.


	4. The Dawnstar Sanctuary

As the four Dark Brotherhood members continued their journey to Dawnstar, KaNack filled Hecate in on all the details regarding how he had ended up in her plane and what exactly he had seen or heard from Lydia when he had spoken to her.

"There isn't much else to say. What about your Brotherhood, sister?" the Argonian asked her.

"I guess I should tell you about who is in our Sanctuary," Hecate said as they continued to walk along the snowy lands of the Pale. "We recently reinstated Wayrest, so our numbers at Dawnstar are smaller than usual." She gave the mage a sideways look. "I take it that you know Nazir?"

"Yes, he's a very good friend of mine," KaNack answered as he played with a small ball of fire in his claws, tossing it from hand to hand. The reptile gave her a smile. "I look forward to meeting your brothers and sisters."

"Just to be sure. Your Nazir is a snarky Redguard who likes to cook and Babette is an eternal ten-year-old vampire?" the Imperial asked as she crossed her arms. KaNack had come from a different world, as far as she knew Nazir was a mincing Wood Elf and Babete was a three hundred pound Orc.

The Argonian smirked at Hecate as he extinguished the fire to tap a claw to his snout to let her know they were the same. "I wouldn't have them any other way, would you?"

"Most of the time," Hecate sighed. "Last year we had a bit of a problem with Babette when Aventus rejected her offer to become a vampire. She was very unhappy, and I'm sure you know what that's like."

Lucien himself shuddered as memory ran through his thoughts.

"Vampires will be vampires. I personally have never seen Babette really infuriated. " He smirked back at his ghost. "Didn't you say you knew another vampire, Buddy?"

"Vincente," the ghost remarked as he shook his head. "And no one lived to cross him a second time."

"Oh, really?" Hecate asked politely.

"Yes, he resisted his natural urges to be a respectful member of the family. Even he had his limits though." The spirit shook his head as he thought about the past. "By Sithis, it took the brothers and sisters a week to clean up all the blood. Well, what was left at least. Initiates were warned to followed the Tenets and be respectful to their fellow assassins and they were wise to listen."

KaNack leaned over to Hecate to whisper to her. "Lucien was a Speaker for the Cheydinhal sanctuary during his time."

"Why do you insist on whispering when you know damn well I can hear you?" The spirit smirked to himself as he looked on ahead recognizing some of the landscape around him. They weren't too much farther.

"Maybe he simply wishes to press his lips against the Listener's delicate ear," Cicero suggested as he placed both of his hands on the Speakers's shoulders and followed suit. The spirit tensed up as he felt the fool's hot breath on his ear. "Such intimacy for close friends and relatives, hm?"

"Mmm," the spirit murmured in agreement. He was not used to such close contact with the Keeper, but he remained calm and vigilant. He had embarrassed himself enough when he had lost his temper during their encounter with the daedra. He kept up his pace, but Cicero managed to retain his close contact with the Dark Brotherhood spirit.

KaNack looked over at the two and chuckled before turning back to Hecate. "Awww, our followers are making friends already. They make a very lovely couple, don't you think?"

"Listener," the spirit growled in warning.

The two looked back at their followers, amused how awkward the Spectral Assassin was finding the pawing of the fool.

"Oooh, Cicero knows! Piggyback ride," the Keeper cackled as he wrapped his legs around the ghostly Speaker placing all his weight on the specter's back. "Giddyup!"

Lachance's eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched together tightly as he came to an abrupt halt. He said nothing, but was glared ahead silently. He had shaken hands, he had even embraced his fellow brothers and sisters, he had NEVER provided one with a piggyback ride and he wasn't about to start now. "Please remove yourself, Keeper," he managed to get out in a shaky voice. Lucien was on the brink of screaming.

"Trouble in paradise?" the Argonian laughed. KaNack turned back to Hecate. "If he keeps that up, Lucien might end up hurting him."

"It's just his way of seeing what he can get away with," Hecate smiled. "My Cicero loves testing boundaries."

"He's testing him all right."

"Now, now," Cicero scowled down at the ghost that was refusing to participate in the fun, "if the pony doesn't play, then Cicero will have to punish him." The Keeper snapped off a nearby hanging branch and used it to whip his "mount." "Go, go!"

KaNack grimaced and his entire body stiffened. As soon as the jester grabbed the switch he knew that it was too late for any form of verbal warning. His spiritual guardian had been through a lot and he could only be pushed too far before his patience had been worn thin.

The first strike of the branch caused Lucien to blink in confusion, not able to believe that Cicero actually had the gall to hit him like a mule. It was on the second hit that the Speaker released an audible snarl and was not going to endure the treatment a second more.

"Enough!" The spirit threw his arms back trying to knock the Keeper away, but all he got for his trouble was another sharp blow from the switch. The Dark Brotherhood spirit back to thrash and rush from side to side trying to get the Fool of Hearts off his back. "Keeper!"

The jester laughed as he tightened his grip and continued to playfully swat at the frantic ghost. "That's more like it! Faster, pony!"

"Damn it all!" the specter barked.

KaNack grasped at his crimson feathers and stared at Hecate who was covering her mouth, trying desperately to not laugh at the scene.

"Called it, he's really mad now." He turned back to his spiritual guardian that continued to run like a chicken with his head was cut off while shaking to dismount his unwanted rider. "Lucien, remember he's the Keeper!"

"I think he likes you, Lucien!" the female Listener laughed.

"That's right! Cicero is a Keeper, so he will keep on the pony as long as possible," the jester crowed as he remained on Lachance's back, "but if the Speaker gets Cicero off, then maybe Cicero will let him ride next."

The Dark Brotherhood spirit snarled before dropping to the ground and began to roll around on the dirt in a desperate attempt to get the infuriating Imperial off. The specter let out a frustrated groan when all that did was cause the Keeper to tighten his grip. He struggled to get back to his feet, Cicero still clinging onto him.

"Keep trying, Speaker!" he tittered in Lucien's ear.

"By Sithis, he's like a parasite!" the specter snarled as he began to wonder if he would have to resort to his blade to remove the Fool of Hearts.

KaNack winced as he saw the desperation on his companion's face.

"So, you're not worried at all that Lachance might end up stabbing him or something?" he asked Hecate.

"Seems like it would break a Tenet if he did," Hecate said mildly. "Cicero is just playing. It's not like he's threatening the spirit."

"You don't know him like I do," the mage remarked quietly. "He's usually very patient, but jab at his pride too much and he'll take offense."

Lachance rushed forward and slammed himself into a tree hoping it would get Cicero to release his grip on him. "Don't make me have to hurt you, Keeper!" the Speaker threatened.

"Oh, again, again," Cicero laughed as the Spectral Assassin staggered backwards from the impact of crashing into the tree. .

The spirit's eyes narrowed and he charged at another tree not yet willing to give up on the tactic to try and dislodge himself from the Keeper. Just as Lucien lurched forward, Cicero grabbed the branches so when Lucien slammed himself into the trunk the jester was able to pull himself up into the tree.

"Well, at least Lucien and Nazir will get along," Hecate said with a shake of her head.

"Lucien," KaNack muttered quietly as he saw how frustrated his friend had become in trying to escape the fool's playful nature.

Cicero hung upside down so he was facing Lachance that was panting heavily, trying to recover from his encounter. "Why so serious, dear Speaker?" the Keeper asked with huge, innocent eyes.

The spirit glared up into the golden eyes of the jester that were giving him a blatant 'who me?' look.

"I...am not… a mount," he uttered darkly as he began to backtrack towards the Argonian, no longer trusting to turn his back on the Fool of Hearts. The Keeper waved at the ghost still grinning madly.

"You managed to get the Keeper off without hurting him. Don't you feel proud of yourself?" KaNack asked his friend once Lucien was once again standing by his side.

The mage leaned away from the deathly stare that the specter gave him.

"Shall we proceed to the sanctuary?" Lucien asked in a stiff voice.

Cicero dropped down from the tree and scurried over to Hecate's side. She put her arm around his shoulders as she gave the Fool a kiss on the forehead. "Surely you're used to your Cicero's pranks?" she asked as the group once again was on the move.

"Many times, I just know better than to test my luck with Lachance." The caster turned to the Speaker who seemed to have calmed down and was walking silently beside him. KaNack looked back at the Imperials and pointed to the scar on his face and then at the ghost.

"Oof, you guys play rough," Hecate winced. "I was going to suggest that you try to avoid Meena since she loves pranks more than Cicero, but maybe you'll get along. She's a bit...um, bloodthirsty."

"Aren't we all, sister?" the reptile asked with a smile. KaNack stared ahead and his eyes gleamed with delight when he saw the familiar door that was engraved with a grinning skull.

"I wouldn't say that necessarily," Hecate said. "We all enjoy killing, but there is a certain visceral pleasure that our Khajiit sister has that sends chills down my spine. She reminds me all too much of a cat playing with her prey from some of her stories."

"Miss Mew Mew is fun," Cicero said with a wicked grin.

"Not too much fun, I hope, my Keeper," Hecate said as she pulled on a lock of Cicero's hair.

A wicked chuckle sounded in the Argonian's throat as he thought about Meena and her vicious love of killing. "She sounds like she truly embraces the Thrill of the Hunt. It's not the kill but the chase and attack that gives us that amazing rush."

"It's a feeling like no other," the spirit mused as they came to a pause before the door.

"Maybe you guys could take her back with you," Hecate said dryly. "If you wish, you may answer the door, Brother."

"She sounds promising, but I feel that our world might be too hectic a change for her." The mage reached forward and rested his claws on the door as he waited for the welcoming greeting of the Dawnstar Sanctuary.

'What is life's greatest illusion?' a dark voice rasped out.

"Innocence, my brother," KaNack answered softly as he slowly pulled his hand away and stepped back. It would be best to not walk into a sanctuary where no one knew who he was. That was a good way to get a slit throat.

Hecate nodded at KaNack's gesture and entered with Cicero quickly behind her. "I doubt anything can be too hectic for her," she said as she descended the stairwell. "You've never seen her on catnip."

"Catnip?" the Argonian asked as he rose an eyebrow to Lachance as he began to follow the Imperials down. The Speaker shook his head as trailed behind his caster.

"Not something I am familiar with, my Listener."

"She was our first recruit after the fall of Falkreath. Aventus Aretino was our second." Hecate smiled at the memory. "His initiation was hard on him, but he did very well despite being so young."

"Aretino?" The mage perked up at the name. "That's the lad that sent me on the path of Sithis. He's a part of your sanctuary?" he asked

"Yes!" Hecate grinned. "I'm glad you know him. Aventus was my first petitioner, although it was more of a case of mistaken identity than anything else." Her expression became more somber as she remembered killing Grelod. "I never intended to kill Grelod, but I don't regret it in retrospect."

"Nor did I," KaNack agreed. "I had hoped I might have been able to just speak to her. I simply..." the mage's eyes glazed over as he thought back to his first kill. "...snapped." He shook himself out of his stupor and smiled at Hecate as he continued to follow her. "It was not until later that I found out what drove my to desire to claim lives." He let out a content sigh. "It is the will of my deity Sithis. He desires souls and I am his humble servant."

"Hm, it sounds like our experience with Grelod was similar at least - primal and instinctual," Hecate mused. "However, I feel what made me kill her was my dragon soul, the very thing that makes me Dragonborn. It thrives on death and domination."

The caster clasped his hands behind his back as he entered the sanctuary and looked about it. "Wow, it looks almost the same, wouldn't you agree, Lucien?"

"Save for the bantering of the initiates, quite."

"Other than our Dunmer mage, Vendave Sendal, that's all we have in Dawnstar right now," Hecate concluded as they entered the main part of the Sanctuary.

To the right, there was only an empty corner where the Night Mother's coffin used to reside.

The Argonian frowned when he noticed that the Night Mother wasn't where she normally was kept. His entire body stiffened, but he remained quiet and simply assumed that she had been placed somewhere else in the sanctuary.

"I have four assassins in my sanctuary. Good kids, love what they do," the reptile said quietly as he continued to look about the sanctuary that was his home and yet was not. "LAAS!" he used the Shout to see if there were any assassins prowling about, perhaps sneaking up on them like Kaie and Dro'marash tended to do whenever he returned to the sanctuary. It was more of a force of habit than a conscious decision.

KaNack could make out Nazir's form in the dining area, stirring the cooking pot. In the distance, where Babette's room was, he could make out a smaller form. Other than that, he only saw the glowing forces of his traveling companions.

The mage looked back at his fellow Dragonborn and smiled. "Sorry, kind of a reflex upon entering the sanctuary. Some of the assassins think tackling me to the ground is some kind of game." The Argonian's tail swished from side to side as he looked down at the ground, deciding to finally address what was clearly on both of their minds. "Hecate" he started, "how old were you when you found out? You know, the whole Dovahkiin thing?"

"Thirty-one," she said. "You?

"Twenty," he answered quietly. The mage let out a bitter scoff. "Oh, those Nords just couldn't wait to dump all their problems on us."

Hecate shrugged. "I usually went looking for trouble. I liked helping people out." She then smiled. "One time Lydia and I..." Hecate trailed off, her face sad. "Well, we had a lot of adventures together."

"Lydia was there for me too," KaNack insisted as he rested a claw on her arm compassionately. "I'd have been stabbed, beheaded and roasted if I didn't have her by my side." The reptile looked back at the floor as he thought about his past. "I had come to Skyrim to improve my skills as a mage; I could do little more than a few fire casts." He shivered slightly. "Minor flame spells don't kill dovahs easily."

"Dragons never die easily," Hecate snorted. "It's a very vexing trait of theirs."

"Ooh, Nazir, Cicero is hoooome," the Keeper trilled from downstairs.

"Oh, Sithis preserve me," the Redguard grumbled.

"Good, maybe he can pounce on someone else," the spirit grumbled as he moved ahead of the group, leaving the Dragonborns to speak to one another.

"It never gets any easier either," KaNack muttered softly to Hecate. "Sure the weaker ones might not give you as much trouble, but in the end it's always the same." He gritted his teeth as he thought about it. "Pain."

"Fire or frost, tooth and nail, I know what you mean," Hecate nodded. "Being an archer helps a lot in that regard."

"It became less hazardous for me once I had learned some more powerful range casts." He looked at his claws. "My conjurations helped as well." He gave her a sideways smile. "One of the grand things about being a master conjurer is that you never have to be alone." He looked ahead at the vanishing form of Lucien. "That's one of the reasons I always keep the Spectral Assassin around. He's become kind of my security blanket over the years." He let out a sharp laugh. "Stupid, I know. We all have our little things that make it easier to face the day."

"You sound as close to Lucien as I am to Cicero," Hecate said softly. Down below they could see the three other assassins as Cicero introduced the ghost to Nazir. The jester gesticulated wildly as he described meeting their other reality siblings.

"Cicero is the only person I've ever needed," Hecate admitted. "Normally I'm happy with my own company, but after meeting my Fool, the world seemed too big without him around."

"Yeah, I thought being alone was the only way I could live. I activity tried to alienate myself from others." He shook his head. "Then I realized that I needed people, I needed others that I could trust." He looked at Hecate. "I hated being alone. Perhaps that was why I leaned towards the art of conjuration."

"You're never really alone in Sanctuary," Hecate chuckled. "I'm glad I have my private room or I'd likely go completely mad."

"Shall we make sure that the Fool of Hearts doesn't try to tackle my spirit again? I think if he does it once more, Lachance might actually go for his blade this time."

"I suppose," Hecate remarked with a shrug.

The reptile smiled at her and made his way down the stairs until he was alongside his spiritual guardian once more. His smile broadened as he looked into the familiar face of Nazir.

"Brother," KaNack greeted him with a bow of his head.

"Listener," Nazir returned. He nodded to both KaNack and Hecate. "Cicero has told me, rather colorfully might I add, what is going on. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"What about singing and dancing?" Cicero asked.

"No," Nazir said flatly. "And not juggling or tumbling before you ask."

"You're no fun," Cicero pouted.

"Be nice to Cicero, he brings a breath of life in our world of death," the Argonian insisted as he grinned at the jester. "Well, right now what we need to do is locate a daedric artifact. I know where I found it once, but I am not sure if it would still be in the same place."

The Speaker gave Cicero a sideways glance and took a wary step further away from him now that the Listeners were more than likely keeping his attention.

"Any reason it would be moved?" Hecate asked.

"I don't think Sheogorath would let it be that easy," KaNack answered.

"Perhaps that's why he might have it there," Lucien mused.

"Do you think there are any clues in what he said to us?" Hecate suggested. "I am sure it would be boring to the Mad God if he just left us to flounder."

The mage rubbed at his chin as he thought back to what Sheogorath had said to them. "I remember him saying that he wanted us to get to know each another better," the Argonian muttered. His eyes then widened as a realization hit him. "He also kept referring to us going after Stormcloaks."

"Stormcloaks," Lachance growled darkly. "I spilled their blood years ago. I would not mind sending more of their souls to our Dread Father."

"Ugh," Hecate made a face at the thought of Ulfric's minions. "They're everywhere now. Much like cockroaches."

"Racist fetchers," the mage hissed bitterly. He shoved his claws into the pockets of his shrouds as he looked at Hecate. "You don't think that the Wabbajack might have something to do with the Stormcloaks, do you?"

"No clue. They do create a great deal of chaos, even if I don't see much in the way of madness there. Well, Galmar withstanding," Hecate grumbled. She paused and glanced back at the Argonian. "What is a fetcher?"

"Hmm?" KaNack was actually surprised by the question."A fetcher, you know? A lowlife? A thorn in your side? A waste of life? A fetcher." He smirked at her and chuckled. "You must have been quite sheltered if you never heard that word before."

"Oh, you mean an asshole," Hecate responded with a wicked grin.

"Uhh...An ass, yes," the Argonian muttered as he shot his spirit a confused look and mouthed the words 'what' to him.

Lucien could only shrug his shoulders back at the Listener.

"Oooh, oooh, an exchange of culture!" Cicero giggled as he danced.

"Stop right there!" Hecate commanded. "I'm not going to have you start spouting swear words to see which ones they recognize."

"Pfft, no one is any fun today," Cicero grumbled. "No killing, no riding, no cursing." He leaned in close to his Listener. "Maybe we'll have some fun tonight, hm?"

"Be good!" Hecate barked as she pushed Cicero away. She was blushing to her roots.

KaNack snorted and held his claws to his face to try and hide his smirking. Lachance cleared his throat causing the Argonian to quickly straighten up and put on a serious face.

"I guess it's safe to say there is quite a bit of difference between our worlds, Hecate." He tapped his foot in thought and turned to his sister. "So, if we go by your logic, Sheogorath was hinting towards us involving ourselves with the Stormcloaks." A sinister smile crawled up his face. "Personally I wouldn't mind setting one or two of Ulfric's boys alight."

"I highly doubt we'll get much done if we start killing indiscriminately across Skyrim," Hecate said dryly. "Where did you find it last time?"

"Last time it was in the Blue Palace in the Pelagius Wing." He rubbed at the back of the neck. "And..." he grumbled as he looked back at Lachance not sure if the sister would believe him or not.

"By all means, share with them all the details that have led us to this predicament," the ghost hissed at him as he extended an arm sarcastically.

The reptile rolled his eyes before turning back to Hecate. " From there we went into the mind of Emperor Pelagius the Mad."

"That explains why I never met him before," Hecate said. She looked over at the wildly grinning Cicero. "However, some of that sounds familiar for another certain someone."

KaNack looked over at Cicero and pointed at him. "You've been there, Cicero? Did you see the Wabbajack while you were in that realm?"

The jester nodded. "It's a three-headed staff. Ann Marie let Cicero point it at the Bosmer." He giggled. "He was not pleased when he was turned into a bunny."

"Solitude is still safe from Ulfric's reign," Hecate explained. "It's really the only important piece of Imperial territory that hasn't been taken yet, but it's surely the site of his next battle if he's not stopped."

"Well if the Keeper saw it, then it might still be there!" the caster insisted as he clasped his claws together. "Hopefully once we get the Wabbajack and fix this little mess, you can get back to ridding this land of the Oaf of Windhelm."

"The daedra might have led us to believe it wouldn't be that simple in order to deceive us," Lachance muttered to himself as crossed his arms and glanced to the side. "It is vital that we find that staff."

"Agreed." KaNack grinned at Hecate. "You feel like taking a little trip to Solitude in the morning?"

"Might as well. It cannot hurt and worst case scenario, we'll get some clues," she agreed. She sighed and stretched her arms over her head. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am some desperate need of shut eye."


	5. The Next Step

The mage walked quietly alongside the female Imperial as they traveled through the long dimly lit passages of the Dawnstar Sanctuary. Now that the two had a hint of an idea of where to begin to correct the situation, small talk became much easier for the Argonian.

"So is our Sanctuary set up the same as yours?" Hecate asked as they continued to walk down the hallway that led to her room.

"The structure is similar, but we have more of a homey set up." KaNack looked to the side as he thought about his duties as Listener. "We keep the Night Mother by the entrance so she would be able to contact me as soon as I entered the sanctuary."

"We also turned the first chamber into a social room of sorts. Furniture, a library and we even gave Nazir a set up for his cooking. Families should have the opportunity to take a break from all the death and just enjoy one another's company." He thought about his own sanctuary and wondered if his changes were very different from Hecate's. "Do you have a hawkery and stables?"

"No hawkery," Hecate said. She looked thoughtful. "There was no need before, but with a second Sanctuary, it would be pretty helpful. The Night Mother had to be moved. We had a problem with an initiate trying to touch her."

"Stupid Eiruki wouldn't keep her filthy hands to herself," Cicero hissed darkly. "Cicero taught the stupid girl a lesson and the others banished him to the Listener's quarters."

"I didn't want to risk any more incidents, so Cicero and I moved her to some place quieter," Hecate added.

Lachance chuckled wickedly. He knew all too well the penalties to those who did not give the Unholy Matron's tomb the proper respect. "Ahh, I long for the days when a good thrashing was dealt for defiance. Repeated offenses were few and far inbetween."

"We have been fortunate in that there have not been any issues with the initiates and the Night Mother." KaNack rubbed at his throat. "I only had to cross Cicero once to learn to never take the chance of having anyone disrespect her." The reptile's eyes narrowed as his spiritual guardian cleared his throat. " And Lucien helped too, of course."

"Were whips and chains involved?" Cicero asked. "Cicero likes when toys are involved."

KaNack paused and he stared up at the ceiling deep in thought. The ghost paused, uncertain what to make of the intrigued expression on his caster's face.

"My Listener?"

The mage shook himself from his thoughts and waved off Lucien's apprehension. "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere." KaNack looked back at Cicero. "No chains, only daggers were used."

"Ooooh, daggers are Cicero's favorite." The Keeper got a sly look on his face as he pressed himself against KaNack's back. "What was the Argonian Listener thinking of? Hmm? Pleasant memories?"

"You could say that," the Argonain mused. "The Keeper and I are very close, the dearest of friends." The reptile smirked despite himself. "Of course, my heart will always belong to my dear wife."

"Hmmmph, you spend more time with the Keeper than her," the ghost grumbled.

"Oh, be quiet, Buddy."

The Dark Brotherhood spirit's teeth clenched at the name. "I asked you to stop calling me that."

"Can you be our pal?" Cicero and Hecate asked at the same time. They both burst into laughter at their joke.

Lucien grumbled loudly only to be pulled to KaNack's side in an attempt to try and pull the specter out of his bitter mood. .

"Lighten up. We're stuck here for the time being; we might as well try and make the best of it."

"Listener, I've had a very demeaning and frustrating day," the Speaker uttered. "Forgive me if I am not in the most pleasant of demeanors."

"What would make you feel better, Lucien?" Hecate asked.

The Spectral Assassin could sense the sincerity in the Imperial's question and provided her a small smile in gratitude. "Going back to our proper home would be a good start, but for now, some peace and quiet to recover would be for the best."

"You've been out of the Void much longer than usual," KaNack observed grimly. "You're going to be getting tired much faster." He looked at Hecate. "I don't dare send him back to the Void in this world, sister. If there is no Lucien for you here, I'd hate to think what might happen to him if he is dismissed."

"Your concern is refreshing, my Listener."

"We're trying our best to get you home," Hecate said sympathetically. "Do you sleep?"

"I don't sleep," Lachance explained. "I simply rest and regain my energy." He shot the Keeper a dark look. "So long as I remain undisturbed I should be fine in the morning."

"Heh, good luck with that, Lucien," KaNack smirked. "Hecate, is this the way to the initiates' quarters?"

"Yeah, just go back down the hall about halfway. It's across the hall from Babette's room."

"Thanks," KaNack said. "Lucien, why don't you go on ahead? I'll be with you shortly."

"If that is your desire, my Listener...Sister." He bowed to Hecate and continued down the halls until his spectral form vanished in the shadowy corridors. KaNack pulled down his hood to run his claws through his feathers with a sigh.

"Sorry about Lachance. He may come off bitter and a real stick in the mud, but he cares more than you know."

"Pity I don't get to see it," Hecate said as she leaned against the doorframe. "I understand both of you are put out, but the constant grumpiness must be draining."

"I've known him for about ten years," he explained. "I'm used to it. Besides, my mentor, Festus, was three times crankier." The Argonian frowned as he thought about his former tutor. "It takes a while for the spirit to warm up to people, but you will find fewer who are as loyal to the guild as he. But enough of Lucien, I am sure you must have a hundred questions regarding our gifts of the Dovah. I know I do."

"Cicero wishes to know if KaNack has a near orgasm experience when he absorbs the dragons' souls like Hecate does," the jester said.

The two Listeners look at the smiling Keeper in horror at his question. The mage tried to keep a straight face, but the corners of his lips twitched, threatening to reveal his amusement.

Hecate ground her teeth. "Cicero, my darling, my sweet," she said in a low growl.

"Yes, my Listener?"

"GO TO BED!" The activated power of Hecate's thu'um threw the Keeper halfway down the hall.

KaNack's eyes widened as he saw the jester go flying down the long passage and flinched at the sound of him bouncing across the ground. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He always is," Hecate said as she threw her braid over her shoulder.

KaNack shook his head. "I've was never truly grateful for the gift of Shouting. Absorbing the souls of dragons has always been an excruciatingly painful experience for me. Word walls leave me lightheaded as well. As I learned the power behind these words though, I found the powers to be necessary at times."

"Painful?" Hecate asked, obviously confused. She gestured for KaNack to enter the room as she closed the door. "No, it's never been painful. As much as I hate to admit it, Cicero is right. It's the most amazing feeling in the world when I absorb a dragon's soul. The only thing that compares is Listening to Mother's words."

"Mother," he repeated the word with a smile. "Yes, as the Keeper has said, it is quite 'intimate'," h said as he leaned against the wall. "That was one of the reasons I felt my duties as Listener took priority of that of the Dovahkiin." His tail smacked loudly against the wall with restless frustration. "Between those obnoxious Nords barking at me and having to face vicious dragons, hearing the words of a fallen she-elf wasn't so bad."

"Not so bad?" Hecate laughed. Her eyes glazed over in memory. "Whenever Mother talks, I feel like I've fallen in love for the first time. I'm wrapped in love, a mother's love - complete and unconditional." Hecate frowned suddenly. "Unless she's displeased. Then it is like being abandoned and forgotten."

"Preaching to the choir, Hecate. I broke some of the Dark Brotherhood's rules and she chose to become silent for an ungodly length of time." KaNack's eyes narrowed. "Babette insisted I was being tested, but I know it was a punishment. I almost lost something very dear to me due to my carelessness."

Hecate patted his shoulder. "I suppose that's the way it is with all parents." She turned so her back was to the Argonian. "Would you mind to help me with my armor? I can't reach the back."

KaNack reached forward and helped to unbind some of the leather straps of the Stormcloak armor holding it together. "I suppose Alduin is dead in this world?"

"Before I even met Cicero," Hecate said as she shed the light armor.

"Well," the mage remarked with wide eyes. "You didn't waste any time fulfilling your 'destiny,'" he said making quotations with his claws.

"I am the self-proclaimed Fool of Fate," Hecate snorted. She walked over to her dresser, leaving little bits of clothes on the floor as she walked until she was only in her small clothes. "Most of my time in Skyrim wasn't dedicated to that. At first it was all about trying to get a bed to sleep in and a meal in my tummy. It was about making Breezehome a home with Lydia," she said softly.

KaNack shielded his eyes in respect as he continued to speak with her. "I couldn't stay in Whiterun. The only place I ever felt truly at home was in the sanctuary. I didn't have to pretend to be something I was not when I was there. I was free to be as open and adamant about my deadly nature without fear of judgment."

Hecate noticed KaNack's shy gesture. "Sorry," she chuckled. "I'm usually more modest, but I guess I've gotten used to Cicero's tendency to not care about such things. I'll be dressed shortly."

"Don't worry, it's not anything I haven't seen before. I merely don't want to be FUSed like our unfortunate Keeper." He tilted his head as he thought about Hecate's voice. "Interesting trick by the way. I can only activate my Shouts by using the words."

"Ugh, I wish I was so lucky," Hecate wrinkled her nose. "If I get upset, it activates on its own. It's almost always FUS. I think it's because it's the first phrase I learned." She waved her hand meaninglessly in the air. "I think it has something to do with being out of harmony. At least that's what Ulfric said, but nowadays I trust him about as far as I can throw him."

A snarl formed on KaNack's face at the mention of the jarl of Windhelm. "Ulfric, the blasted oaf that had the gall to call himself a king?" he hissed. "I took great pleasure sending his soul to the Void. Shame his lapdog couldn't follow suit." He let out a satisfied huff. "My fellow mages made quick work of that rabid ice wolf."

The Argonian approached Hecate once more. "Ulfric may look imposing, but in the end he is just a man who happens to have an extraordinarily loud voice. You will make quick work of him."

"I don't know about just a loud voice," Hecate said, blushing slightly.

KaNack sat on the edge of her bed and continued to grin, thinking his sister was being modest. "What? Because he led an army? Pfft! That fetcher poses no threat to a leader of assassins, you need not fear him. You are much deadlier than him, Hecate."

"Um, it's not that," Hecate hedged as she walked to the other side of the bed. She looked even redder.

"Oh?...OH!" KaNack grimaced and his claws rapped against the bed frame loudly as he realized what his fellow Dragonborn was hinting at. He avoided eye contact with her and his dark scales hid that his face would be just as red as the Imperial's. "So, does this mean you don't hate him? Or..."

"I hate him," she said, looking away. "And it didn't go that far. I don't think Ulfric could bring himself to sleep with a lowly Imperial, no matter how useful she might be. I did like him once. We both knew about the thu'um and what life with the Greybeards was like. But in the end, he just used me. Like he uses everyone.

"Besides, I have a contract," Hecate said. "I don't think I could refuse it even if I wanted to."

"I can't even begin to guess who placed a contact on him; the list of those who would want him dead is too long. Ulfric is now and always has been a racist. Despising those who don't share his precious Nordic blood." KaNack glared at the floor. "The first time I step foot in that wretched city I could feel the oppression in the air. The sooner you end his life the better."

The mage stood up and bowed to her politely. "Well, we should get our rest if we plan to start for Solitude in the morning. Thank you again for you hospitality, He...Listener."

"You're welcome, Listener," she chuckled. Her grin faded as a strange tugging sensation filled her body as the Argonian started to leave. "Um, KaNack, what's going on?"

KaNack froze, feeling a similiar tugging sensation as well. He groaned and slapped a palm to his forehead. "Oh, for the love of Sithis, I forgot!" He turned around with an apologetic expression on his face. "Sheogorath's curse; we have an ethereal cord binding us together until we find the Wabbajack."

"I thought that's why you sent Lucien away," Hecate admitted.

"Honestly, it completely slipped my mind," he stated quietly. "You must understand how incredible it is running into someone like you. You not only managed to successfully bring back the Dark Brotherhood but also defeat the World Eater. I never believed I would ever run into one who could understand all the pressure and confusion of being the last of the Dragonborns." He sighed deeply. " I can sleep on the floor, I promise to not disturb you while you rest."

"Why should you sleep on the floor?" Hecate asked. She patted the bed. "Don't worry, I've gotten used to another person in the bed over the years. Unless you snore." She looked horrified. "You don't snore, do you?"

"If I do my wife has never told me," he explained. KaNack hesitated before finally sliding into the large bed. "What are the odds of the Keeper slitting my throat in the middle of the night in a jealous rage?"

"Cicero isn't the jealous type," Hecate chuckled. "Besides, more importantly, he would never break the Tenets. We actually used to sleep side by side like brother and sister," Hecate said, sighing with nostalgia. "For the first year we knew each other, if you can believe it."

The Argonian crossed his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, thinking about the journeys he had with his dearest companion. "Cicero used to travel with me when I went off to adventure or handle contracts. The winter chill often forced us to sleep close to one another for warmth while Lucien stood guard." He smirked. "For such a small Imperial he radiated an astounding amount of heat, wouldn't you say?"

"He does," Hecate said. "I think he's the only thing that has made living in Skyrim bearable."

"You have no idea how right you are. For the longest time Cicero was the only person in Skyrim who was able to make me laugh despite all the death and turmoil surrounding us. He's my dearest friend." He looked over at Hecate. "I can't imagine living in a world without the Fool of Hearts in it."

"You know we're going to have to," Hecate said sadly.

"Oh, Sithis, do not say such things, Hecate," he muttered rolling onto his side.

"You started it," she said, her voice sounding empty. "But it's true. Hundreds, maybe thousands of years, without one Fool."

"I may have the longevity of a mage, my dear sister, but I will be lucky if I live past three hundred." The reptile looked over his shoulder at her. "Let me tell you something that Lucien once told me when I had to say goodbye to a dear friend. 'There is no such thing as goodbye in the Dark Brotherhood'. That simple phrase has given me much needed comfort over the years that I will see my fallen brothers and sisters again one day."

"Didn't anyone tell you?" Hecate gasped. "We have the souls of dragons, immortal creatures. We may be mortal and will die one day, but each soul we absorb increases our lifespans."

KaNack shook his head and laid his head on the pillow. "I don't think it's like that where I am from, Hecate. The dragon souls bind to the words, but our lives are our own. I will live my normal lifespan and then my spirit gets sent to the Void." He looked sadly at the wall. "You do have my deepest sympathies, however. I cannot imagine what it would be like to live that ungodly length of time. Too many friends and family would have to be buried in the process. I already know I am going to outlive some of my beloved assassins, but I don't wish to think about it."

"Please don't tell Cicero," Hecate begged. She placed her hand over KaNack's. "He doesn't know. I haven't told him. I haven't told anyone other than Babette."

KaNack reached over and put his other hand on top of hers in assurance. "Not a word, my sister."

"Thank you."

The Argonian sighed deeply and shut his eyes. "We should get some rest; Solitude is a great distance away. With Stormcloaks prowling the lands we will need to be on our guard."

"True," Hecate grinned, "I feel sorry for any who might stumble upon us."

"All hail Sithis," the reptile chuckled wickedly.

Lucien settled himself on the foot of the bed in the initiates' chambers and rested his eyes as he tried to recover from the stressful day he had endured. The ghost was aware that his Listener would not be returning to him due to the ethereal cord binding the two together, a curse all too familiar to him. He had to endure the strife of being bound to a scroll for centuries; it was going to be a test on both the Listeners' abilities to compromise and work together in order to not allow the cord to hinder them.

The Spectral Assassin jumped as he heard a loud voice boom through the halls. The scream was followed quickly by a piercing cry of pain. Lachance turned to stare out the doorway. He saw nothing, but could have sworn that he had heard something impact the ground outside of the chamber.

"Who's out there?" he called.

"Just Cicero," the Keeper chuckled from a heap of motley at the far end of the hall.

The Speaker stood up from the bed and made his way out of the chamber into the hall. He padded over to the aching Keeper that was laid out before him.

"It is not wise to annoy the Listener...namely one who can Shout." The specter reached down to offer the jester a hand.

Cicero gratefully took the offered limb. "Oh, don't mind dear Hecate," he giggled. "That's just her way of showing sweet Cicero that's she's shy."

The spirit pulled Cicero to his feet and gave him a tired look.

"Not what I would consider shy," he grumbled before returning back to the corridor to resume gathering his strength.

"Where is the Brotherhood spirit going?" Cicero asked, skipping along.

"To rest," Lucien answered quietly as he took a seat on the edge of the bed and shut his eyes. "You've exhausted me this day, Keeper."

"That's what she said!" Cicero laughed.

The ghost's brow furrowed at the crude joke. Opening his pupil-less eyes, Lachance stared at the jester. "You are much more rambunctious than the Keeper I know."

"Oh?" The Keeper's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Tell sweet Cicero about Cicero."

Lucien let out a deep and audible breath, realizing that the Keeper was not going to allow him to get any rest until he had grown bored with conversation.

"He is a jolly fellow, yet understands there being a time and place for all seriousness. He also knows when to kill, even when his heart his screaming for him to refrain." The Spectral Assassin grimaced. "And he cheats at sparring."

"Why would Cicero ever need to refrain from killing?" the Keeper asked as he did a cartwheel.

"You have heard that one good deed deserves another?" the ghost chuckled wickedly. "Our Keeper rewarded one's good deed with an ebony blade to the gut. A true son of Sithis he is. Long ago were the days of Cheydinhal, but he still understood that there is no room for mercy in our line of work."

"Oh, this sounds interesting," Cicero said. "Tell me more."

The spirit rested his hands on his knees and stared at the bouncing Keeper. "What would you like to know in particular?"

"Who was the rescuer? Why did Cicero kill him? Everything. Cicero likes stories."

"Ah." The Dark Brotherhood spirit nodded his head. "That is quite a lengthy tale, but one I am willing to tell. You are more than familiar with the Penitus Oculatus, are you not?"

Cicero scowled. "The Blades' replacements. Uppity bodyguards of the Emperor who failed to do their job, but not before setting Falkreath to burn. Cicero had been banished when it happened, but many still fell to his blade that day."

"Yes, the Blades failed in their day and these agents fared no better. Our Listener wanted to make their leader suffer for what they did to the family, but in order for the Emperor to die, the child was forced too allow Commander Maro to live."

Lachance grimaced. "I am all too familiar with how vengeance can drive a man to do dreadful things." The Speaker glanced at the floor trying to not think of the farmhouse. "Maro wanted to kill the Dark Brotherhood and redeem themselves for the Emperor. What better way that to cut our ties with our Unholy Matron?"

Cicero crouched on the floor next to Lucien's feet as the spirit told him the tale. The Keeper growled much like a sabre cat at the thought. "What did they try to do?"

"In order to try and find the Night Mother and destroy her, the Penitus Oculatus went after the Keeper." The spirit's teeth gritted. "This was when the Listener still allowed Cice..you to journey with him."

"The Listener and the Keeper on the hunt?"

"At the time yes. You two were inseparable. The Listener knew better than to take you out on these dangerous missions, but neither of you wished to part company. It was forbidden for a Keeper to participate in contracts, but soon the Listener had you working alongside him taking lives." Lucien's lips thinned. "We have these rules for a reason. The Commander had taken you, but the Listener would not rest until you had been found. At first it was because he felt it was his duty to the Night Mother, but as more time passed, it was obvious that he was doing it for much more personal reasons. I think there is more to the relationship that the Argonian has with Keeper than he is willing to come to terms with."

"The spirit seems to suggest a closer relationship like the one Cicero and Hecate enjoy?" Cicero asked slyly.

"I have my suspicions," the spirit confessed before continuing. "When the Dark Brotherhood finally found you, we found that the Penitus Oculatus had you entombed in a draugr sarcophagus."

Cicero's eyes grew wide at the thought. "Alone?" he whimpered. "In the dark?"

The ghost nodded. "A cruel and vicious attempt to break you and get your to reveal the location of the Night Mother's remains."

"Cicero would never betray the Brotherhood!" The Keeper insisted loudly. He clenched his fists tightly. "Cicero keeps the Tenets!"

"And so you did. You were much stronger than the Commander believed you to be. However, from what I was told afterwards, the only reason you managed to hold onto your sanity was that you had befriended a young soldier who was guarding you. The boy tended to you when you had been injured, helped me free you...and his kindness was rewarded with your killing blow." He shook his head. "No Penitus Oculatus left alive, no exceptions."

"Cicero understands," the Keeper sighed. He chuckled. "It would have broken Hecate's heart though. She would have wanted to save the boy. Send him away some place safe. My Listener is very soft hearted, you see."

"My Listener is about as loyal and caring as one can expect to his friends and Brothers..." Lachance leaned forward so that he was practically touching noses with the Keeper, the chilled mist wafted across the fool's cheeks. "Oblivion have no fury like the Argonian if you cross him or his companions."

"Hecate can be that way too," Cicero smiled wickedly. "She just wants to spread that caring to anyone she meets."

"Heh, a member of the Dark Brotherhood should have a soul as black as the Void." The Speaker leaned back so that he was sitting upright. "The Argonian is young, but he has embraced the Thrill of the Hunt much faster than any of my apprentices." He frowned. "I only pray that the tender side of his is not the cause of his downfall one day. His love for others is both his greatest strength and greatest weakness."

"Doesn't sound like your Listener's soul is black enough then," Cicero teased.

"He's a work in progress," the spirit insisted."I'll twist that soul of his one day."

"Hm, sounds intimate," Cicero said, resting his chin on his gloved hand.

The spirit stirred and shot the fool a confused look. "What exactly are you insinuating, Keeper? I assure you, my intentions are purely professional."

"What are you getting upset over, Spirit?" Cicero countered. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Lucien grumbled deep in his throat and shut his eyes firmly as he rested his hands on his lap. "You tire me."

"Come now, friend, do you deny the intimacy of the knife?" Cicero challenged. He reached out and took the Spirit's hand. "The feeling of satisfaction as you guide your student's hand into making a perfect cut, the peeling of flesh beneath your hand, the sounds of your target dying?" Cicero sighed, blissfully. "Such sharing of a person as their entire self is laid bare in the last moments of their life. Don't you revel in it? Don't you rejoice?"

"I would not be here if I did not," the ghost answered not opening his eyes. "I was a Brother, a Speaker and also a teacher. Death is an art form, my blade was my brush and my victims were my canvas. I am making the Listener into the true killer I know he is deep within."

Cicero leaned forward so his lips were near the Speaker's. "Then you know what I mean when I say it sounds intimate."

"Hmm, I suppose I can see that from your point of view, Keeper," the spirit mused, unaware of just how close the jester was to his face. "There is no greater sensation then having the chill of the night air broken by the splash of warm blood." A wicked smile formed on his face. "Killing is a messy form, but oh so satisfying."

"Only if done right," Cicero said. "Ah, bother and befuddle, now poor Cicero is all worked up," the jester scowled. "And dear Hecate is indisposed."

Lucien opened his eyes suddenly, startled by Cicero's exclamation. "I beg your pardon?"

"You know," Cicero said. He made a rude jerking motion with his hand.

A snarl formed on Lachance's face; he was both horrified and insulted by Cicero's gesture. "Bah!" the spirit hissed waving his hand at the fool. "By Sithis! You are a Keeper! You should not speak of such things! Have some decency, man!"

"Ah, Cicero is celibate, but he still has a man's needs," the Keeper said cheerfully. "And the Listener has her needs that must be tended. It would be inappropriate if she must find her pleasure outside of the Brotherhood."

Lachance growled as he glared at the floor. "We should not be speaking of such things," he remarked. If he could still blush he would. The spirit rested a hand against his head feeling slightly dizzy. Once again the Keeper had him worked up without giving him an opportunity to recover from his long day.

"Why ever not?" Cicero asked, blinking innocently. "Isn't that what Brothers speak of when they're alone together?"

"Not in my time...and not in my world," he answered grasping the bed frame and shutting his eyes once more. "There are some things that are best kept outside of common conversation."

"Fine, fine, fine," Cicero huffed. "Cicero can take a hint." The Keeper skipped down the hall to where the Listener's door was. A rattling sound could be heard before the Imperial came back. "Door's locked. Of course. Well, that's never stopped clever Cicero before." The Keeper chuckled.

"If the Spirit wishes to have more private accommodations, he is welcome to use Cicero's room," the jester offered generously.

"All I require is a moment to rest. It's not easy being kept from the Void for such an extent." He shook his head. "You wouldn't understand; being a specter from the Dread Father's realm is a sensation that cannot be described by mere words. It is something that must be experienced."

"Maybe Cicero will know some day," the jester said. "For now, Cicero must bid you farewell." Cicero bowed before doing a back flip and cartwheeling down the hall to gods knew where.

"Thank Sithis," Lucien sighed as he resumed meditating to regain his lost energy. He scoffed. "The Keeper becoming a Spectral Assassin? That will be the day."


End file.
